The Los Altos Brethren Preschool was established to provide children with a quality education based on Biblical principles and provide a program that is designed to meet the developmental needs of young children (3 to 5 years). We desire to assist in the development of the whole child, spiritually, mentally, physically, and socially.
WHEN I PLAY I LEARN
A child learns through play – in all ways, a truth adults do not always understand.
David Elkind, psychologist and author (“The Hurried Child”), says of play:
“Young children learn best by playing and following their own curiosities, by solving real problems, such as how to balance a stack of blocks, or how to negotiate a zipper, put together a picture puzzle and most of all, by making mistakes and trying again.”
When I easel paint I learn:
• To develop my imagination and creativity (intelligence)
• To develop eye-hand coordination (writing skill)
• To distinguish and purposely create shapes (math and writing skill)
• To express my feelings and ideas (language)
• That my ideas have values (self-esteem)
• Relationships of space and size (math and science)
• Concepts of symmetry, balance, and design (intelligence)
When I finger paint I learn:
♥ To exercise my imagination and creativity (intelligence)
♥ About how colors mix to make new colors (science)
♥ Concepts of shape, size, and location (math and writing)
♥ An acceptable way to make a mess and have fun sharing ideas with others (self-esteem)
♥ Eye-hand coordination
When I scribble and draw I learn:
♦ To hold a pencil or other drawing implement and to control the pressure (writing skill)
♦ To express myself with words when describing my drawing (language)
♦ That my ideas have value (self-esteem)
♦ Concepts of color, shape, size, and location (math)
♦ To exercise my creativity and imagination (intelligence)
♦ Eye-hand coordination
♦ The basic strokes of the printed language (writing)
When I glue and collage I learn:
► About different textures (intelligence)
► How to create patterns and designs (math)
► To distinguish patterns from a background (reading skills)
► Concepts of shape, size, location, and design which is relevant to reading
► To exercise my Imagination and creativity
When I look at objects at a nature table I learn:
∗ New vocabulary (language, intelligence)
∗ Concepts of texture color, weight, and size (intelligence)
∗ To group objects into categories (math)
∗ To observe likeness and differences (math)
∗ To appreciate nature and develop a sense of wonder (intelligence)
When I look at books and listen to stories I learn:
■ That books are important and enjoyable
■ That print is written down word
■ To express my own thoughts, feelings, and ideas
■ To handle books with care
■ To follow the development of thoughts and ideas in the plot of a story
■ That I like books and someday I’d like to be able to read them too, when I’m ready
■ To recognize certain words when I see them in print
■ To use more complex patterns in my own speech
■ To use my imagination and make up my own stories
When I play with blocks, cars, and trucks I learn:
∼ Concepts of shape, size, length, and location (math and reading)
∼ To create and repeat patterns (math)
∼ To exercise imagination (Intelligence)
∼ To express ideas and exercise imagination (language, intelligence)
∼ To cooperate with others (social)
∼ About the properties of wood (science)
∼ To see myself from a different perspective (self-concept)
When I play on climbing equipment I learn:
• Physical strength, coordination, and balance
• To use my imagination
• To cooperate with others when involved in group play
• Self-confidence as I develop new skills
• To solve problems
When I play with sand I learn:
♥ To exercise my imagination
♥ How to use tools (writing)
♥ To solve problems (intelligence)
♥ How to play socially with others
♥ Concepts of size, shape, and volume (math)
♥ Concepts of warm and cool, wet, damp, dry, heavy, light (intelligence)
♥ To create systems for classifying, ordering and arranging (math)
♥ To observe changes (science)
When I sort things I learn:
♦ To notice details, likeness, differences, and to form categories (reading and math)
♦ Concepts of color, size, and shape (math)
♦ Numeral concepts or more and less (math)
♦ Logical reasoning (intelligence)
When I string beads I learn:
► To create and reproduce patterns (math)
► Pride in accomplishment (self-esteem)
► Number concepts like more, less, longer and shorter
► Concepts of color, shape, and location
► Eye-hand coordination
When I play with pegboards I learn:
∗ One to one correspondence, concepts of addition (math)
∗ To make and repeat patterns
∗ Possible left to right progression (reading and writing)
∗ Symmetry, shapes, order, and design (reading, writing, math)
∗ Eye-hand coordination
∗ Colors
When I participate in group time I learn:
■ To listen and understand spoken words
■ That my ideas have value to the other children and the teacher (self-concept)
■ To wait my turn when others are talking
■ New vocabulary words
■ To help plan what we will do and when we will do it
■ The names of others in the group
■ To remember the words of songs and poems I have learned and to put things in proper order
■ To cooperate and be considerate of the needs of others
When I do cooking projects I learn:
∼ About nutrition, tastes, and food groups (intelligence)
∼ How heat and cold change things (science)
∼ Whole-part relationships and concepts of volume and measures (math)
∼ Vocabulary
∼ Awareness of my own and other cultures (intelligence)
When I play in the family living area I learn:
• To be flexible in my thinking (intelligence)
• To express myself with my words (language)
• To try on different adult roles (self-concept)
• To solve social problems through negotiation with friends (intelligence)
• To sort and organize play things (math)
• To make decisions (intelligence)
• To improvise and use things in a symbolic way (intelligence)
• To have an object represent something else (intelligence)
• To carry out my ideas with cooperation of others (intelligence, self-esteem, social skills)
• To exercise my imagination and creativity
When I play with riding toys I learn:
♥ Strength, balance, and large muscle coordination
♥ To use my energy in a constructive way
♥ Concepts of speed, direction, and location (math)
♥ To use my imagination
♥ To negotiate and take turns (social skill)
♥ To solve problems (intelligence)
♥ Self-confidence, as I master new skills
When I dance I learn:
♦ Balance and coordination
♦ To be conscious of moods and rhythms of music
♦ To express myself physically in an appropriate way
♦ About the space around me and the space of others
When I play with rhythm instruments I learn:
► To be conscious of rhythms in music (reading skill)
► Concepts of fast, slow, loud, soft, high, low (reading and math)
► To express myself in new and different ways
► Listening skills
► Auditory discrimination – recognizing different sounds (reading)
► To interpret and understand signals and cues
When I sing songs I learn:
∗ Principles of music and rhythm
∗ Vocabulary
∗ Memory skills and sequencing (reading and math)
∗ To be conscious of others
∗ Various concepts emphasized in songs
∗ Phonics or auditory discrimination (reading)
∗ Awareness and identification with my culture and other cultures
When I cut with scissors I learn:
■ To control the small muscles in my hand (writing)
■ Concepts of shape, size, color, and location (math)
■ To exercise my imagination and creativity
When I play I learn:
∼ That I am me – a small child who is valued, cherished, and loved
∼ I count in the world